DeGraff memorial hospital to upgrade, expand emergency department

Submitted

Thu, Aug 25th 2016 12:15 pm

Plans to upgrade at DeGraff. (Click to enlarge)

Kaleida Health has announced plans
to modernize and double the size of DeGraff Memorial Hospital's emergency
department (ED).

"The expansion of the emergency
department is really about serving our community better," said Jody Lomeo,
president and CEO of Kaleida Health. "With an aging population in the
northtowns, more chronic conditions in the ED and a changing health care
landscape, we must do all that we can to increase our capacity to treat
patients experiencing illness and life-threatening emergencies."

The plan is to relocate the ED
from the west side of hospital campus to the east side, fronting the Twin City
Highway and allowing for better access, parking and visibility for patients,
families and visitors.

Lomeo added, "The emergency
department is really the front door of the hospital. It's the way patients
primarily utilize DeGraff. So, we are physically moving the ED from the back to
the front - right on the primary traffic route that serves the hospital."

Last renovated in 1975, the space
will more than double from 4,800 square-feet to 10,000 square-feet.

Jill Pawlowski, M.D., site
director for emergency medicine at DeGraff Memorial Hospital said, "With a new
location and added space comes the opportunity to implement the most efficient
processes for staff productivity, which equates to better patient care."

The $7.8 million expansion calls
for 17 treatment bays, including a trauma room, a dedicated bariatric room and
an airborne isolation room. It will also include a decontamination area
suitable for current and emerging infectious diseases. To further accommodate
geriatric patients, DeGraff will use non-glare lighting, slip-proof flooring,
increased family space, plus signage with oversized lettering.

Kaleida Health will be submitting
its construction plans as well as a certificate of need to the New York State
Department of Health, with the goal of breaking ground in early 2017.